Latinos embrace pope as one of their own

Updated 11:57 pm, Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Lucas Romero, of Stamford, at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday. Romero plans to join six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, during his visit to the United States. less

Lucas Romero, of Stamford, at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday. Romero plans to join six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, during his visit to the ... more

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Lucas Romero, of Stamford, is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday. Romero will be joining about a dozen other people traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, as he visits the United States. less

Lucas Romero, of Stamford, is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday. Romero will be joining about a dozen other people traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, ... more

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, as he visits the United States. less

Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope ... more

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, as he visits the United States. less

Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope ... more

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, as he visits the United States. less

Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope ... more

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

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Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope Francis, as he visits the United States. less

Lucas Romero of Stamford is photographed at Sacred Heart Church in Stamford on Friday Sept. 23, 2015. Romero will be joining six other couples traveling to Philadelphia this weekend in hopes of seeing Pope ... more

Photo: Matthew Brown / For Hearst Connecticut Media

Latinos embrace pope as one of their own

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When Pope Francis visits New York and Philadelphia this week the thousands of Catholics going to hear his words of hope, mercy and change will likely hear it in Spanish.

Fourteen of the pope’s 18 addresses this week will be given in the Argentinian’s native tongue. For Latinos and Hispanic people in Connecticut, it’s further confirmation that this pope has their interests at heart.

“He realizes and validates that Latinos are a powerful force in this country,” said Juan Pazmino, a member of St. Benedict Our Lady of Montserrat Church in Stamford, who is from Ecuador.

In Stamford, a little more than a quarter of the population are native Spanish speakers, according to U.S. Census data, and of Fairfield County’s estimated 460,000 Catholics, 25 percent are native Spanish speakers.

Just as the Polish with Pope John Paul II and Germans with Pope Benedict XVI, Pazmino said Latinos are proud to have a pope who shares the same language and some of the same cultural traits.

More Information

Head to go here

Town

% Hispanic or Latino

Bridgeport

38.3

Danbury

26.8

Stamford

26.5

Norwalk

21

Stratford

13.8

Greenwich

10.6

Fairfield

5.1

New Canaan

3

Darien

3

Stamford’s latino and hispanic population

Total population 123,995

26.5%

And yet local Latinos say it’s his ability to embrace people of all ages and backgrounds and not shy away from speaking about controversial topics that really make them most proud to call him a church leader.

“He’s not excluding anybody,” Pazmino, a social worker for the Stamford school district, said. “He includes everybody into the faith.”

Pazmino is one of many local Catholics that plan to make the trip to Philadelphia this weekend for a chance to get a glimpse of the pope and hear his message.

One thing Francis is expected to talk about is helping the poor - a topic he has covered often since he was elected to his post in 2013.

Advocating for the poor, however, is not new for the papacy, said Rosa Correa, a member of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Stratford. “What I’m happy about is we continue to have popes who have been advocates for the poor, who understand that it is part of their mission,” she said.

Lucas Romero, a member of Sacred Heart Church in Stamford, said he likes that Francis has advocated for a proactive approach to helping those less fortunate.

“He encourages that we should show them how to fish and not just give fish to the people,” Romero, who is from Peru, said in Spanish.

Romero said he hopes to connect with others of the same faith and the pope’s visit will provide a chance for Catholics to feel a sense of unity.

Raul Ruiz, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Bridgeport, said he wishes he could share in that experience but won’t be able to make the trip.

Ruiz, who is Puerto Rican, called Francis a “great human being.”

“He has something in his personality that you can see he is different from other popes,” he said. “He likes to be open to all people. That’s what I like about him.”

That even goes for populations one would not expect the church’s highest leader to embrace, like those who are gay and those who have abortions. Francis has made headlines over his comments about both of these groups.

He has said, “Who am I to judge?” when questioned about homosexuality. An increasing majority of Latinos have expressed support for same-sex marriage.

The pope has also has extended the ability for priests worldwide to forgive abortion during the year of mercy beginning in December, something many - but not all - priests already do with permission from their bishops. Latinos appear divided on the issue of abortion.

“He’s not supporting them but he’s not criticizing them,” said Ruiz, of gays and those who have abortions.

Correa, who met Pope John Paul II shortly after he was elected in the late 1970s, said Francis is fostering conversations in a different way than his predecessors.

“This pope is more open to dialogue about issues that would not have been discussed by John Paul,” she said.

This also includes immigration, a topic that affects many Latinos.

Ruiz said he hopes Francis publicly backs President Barack Obama’s efforts to provide opportunities in this country for undocumented immigrants. Among some of Obama’s initiatives are making it easier for young immigrants who are in this country illegally to get work permits and giving temporary legal status to millions of immigrants whose children are citizens.

“If the pope pushes for that too it’ll be a push for Obama,” Ruiz said. “I think it would be great if he mentions that.”

Marilyn Melgar, a member and bookkeeper at St. Charles Borromeo Church, said she doesn’t doubt Francis will bring up controversial topics as he is not afraid to say what comes to his mind.

“I love that he’s down-to-earth,” she said. “He’s not afraid to say things like they are. He’s very charismatic and he’s very merciful too.”

Melgar, who is from Guatemala, said she plans to spend the weekend in Philadelphia in order to get the best chance of being as close to the pope as possible.

“I love the fact that you can see Christ in him,” she said. “Everything that Jesus represents you can see in him. I think he’s going to be a saint. We’ll be in the presence of a future saint.”